When to plant a fall vegetable garden
The term "fall garden" is such a misnomer.
"Fall garden" implies planting in the fall, right? When it's cooler and a gardener can stand to be outside, not when it's as hot as the inside of an oven on bread-baking day, and so humid you have to swim from the front door to the garden, while being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
But, no. Fall gardens must be planted in the summer.
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When the temperature is really too hot for those little seedlings that must be kept hydrated so they don't fry in the heat of the sun, and they need to be protected from ravenous bugs such as grasshoppers and blister beetles.
(Are you plagued by blister beetles too? Here's how to fight them organically.)
But honestly, the reason the seeds for many fall garden plants must be planted in the summer is so they'll mature before the first autumn frost.
Find your average first frost date
When should you plant a fall garden in your garden zone?
It's helpful to know what garden zone you're in, but you also need to know the average date of your first autumn frost. This date will vary across your garden zone according to where you live, so you'll need to find this first frost date and not rely on your garden zone.
So figuring out your average first frost date is key to knowing when to plant your fall garden.
This page at Dave's Garden will give you a general idea. Just enter your zip code in the box, and the calculator will tell you the average dates of your first frost in the fall and your last frost in the spring.
Your fall garden depends on timing - and that starts with knowing your average first frost date. Use this free tool to enter your ZIP code and find out when to plant your fall vegetables.
Of course this is just an average date; each year is different and there are no guarantees with the weather. Your average first frost date is an average of many years' worth of first frost dates.
Plus there are pockets here and there of small eco-systems that will be warmer or colder than others.
For instance, we live at a higher elevation than our nearest town so we tend to be a bit colder in spring and warmer in the fall, even though we share the same zip code and therefore our first frost dates.
Dave's Garden says that our average first frost here in zone 7b is October 28th.
What to plant in a fall garden
Short-season and cool-weather crops are the best choices for a fall garden.
Greens such as lettuce, spinach and kale, brassicas such as broccoli and cabbage, fast-growing root vegetables such as carrots and radishes, and other cool-weather plants such as peas are ideal.
Loose leaf lettuce matures faster than head lettuce and other types, so it's a great choice for a fall garden.
Remember those cool-season vegetables that can withstand a light frost? They are great candidates for fall planting too.
Choose varieties that are fast-growing by checking seed packets for their "days to maturity." You can compare several varieties of radishes, for example, and choose one that will mature quickly.
As an example, the Early Scarlet Globe variety of radishes takes 22 days to mature, on average, so it's a great fall garden choice.
By the way, "early" in the name is a good sign. This variety matures a full week ahead of other varieties of radish.
Where to plant your fall crops
One of my favorite ways to garden is to use nature to fool nature.
I can often keep growing lettuce in my spring garden for longer than I should be able to, because I plant it in the shade, either shade from a shed or a fence or in the shade of larger plants.
By using this tactic in reverse, I could plant fall lettuce in a shady spot, and have more chance of success than planting lettuce in full sun when the temperature is over 100°F.
When the weather cools down and the daylight hours are fewer, the larger plants creating that shade will have died back and autumn leaves will have fallen from the shade trees. Your fall plants will have adequate sunlight to grow and mature.
You can also add shade deliberately with shade cloth on the south and/or west sides of your garden bed.
Advantages of fall gardens
Honestly, I prefer growing some crops in fall instead of spring, for the following reasons:
- Fewer pests. By late summer, some of the worst bugs - like cabbage loopers and squash bugs - have finished their life cycle. (Floating row covers are helpful if you do have a few insect pests remaining, such as grasshoppers. Remove row covers before beans and peas flower, so that pollinators can reach the blossoms.)
- Better flavor. Cooler temps make greens and root veggies sweeter.
- Less pressure. You’re not trying to beat the heat, you're coasting into cooler weather.
In fact, if you’ve had trouble with brassicas - like cabbage and broccoli - in the spring, try again in the fall. You might be surprised at how much better they do.
And if your lettuce and leafy greens tend to bolt in late spring and early summer because the heat hits too early, they will probably perform better in a fall garden, too.
Figure out your planting dates
To figure out the best planting dates, let's use those Early Scarlet Globe radishes as an example. They take an average of 22 days to mature.
So count backwards 22 days from your average first frost date.
I subtract another week or two so they will hopefully be ready to harvest before an early frost, although most fall plants will survive a light frost if you cover them in some way.
That gives you a "last planting date" for the Scarlet Globe radishes. You can plant them a few weeks earlier, but this is the deadline date!
Now let's add my own garden into the example.
October 28th [my average first frost date] minus 22 days [days to maturity, or the number of days for the radishes to mature] minus another 7 days [an extra week, a sort-of insurance policy] means I should plant those radishes no later than September 31st in zone 7b.
[Average first frost date] minus [days till maturity] minus [7 days] = [your last planting date]
This equation gives you the last date you can plant, unless you use some sort of season extender such as floating row covers or frost cloth.
But you can, of course, plant earlier too. That's just the last planting date, so you'll be sure your radishes have time to mature.
Succession planting in the fall
Most cool-season crops can be planted in succession, planting more seeds every 7 days or so. This ensures that the plants will mature over a longer period of time, giving you a longer harvest. Lettuce and other greens, radishes and beets are good candidates for succession planting.
To plant seeds in several rounds, subtract another 7 days from that planting date we just figured out for an additional planting, and then subtract another 7 days for another planting. Remember, we're working backwards from the last planting date.
You can extend your harvest using succession planting and avoid having all of your lettuce or radishes ready to eat at the same time.
Sample planting dates
Here's the schedule of last planting dates for my own garden in zone 7b, with an average first frost date of October 28th, using seeds from Mary's Heirloom Seeds.
Pak choy - 33 days - Extra Dwarf Pak Choy Cabbage - plant before September 18
Lettuce - 45 days - my own mix of loose leaf varieties - plant before September 6
Spinach - 50 days - Bloomsdale Long-Standing - plant before September 1st
(Actually, you can steal my schedule no matter what garden zone you live in. If your first frost date is one month earlier than my October 28th date, subtract one month from the planting dates above. Or if your average first frost is 4 days after mine, add 4 days to my planting dates. Go ahead, I don't mind!)
Garlic in the fall garden
Garlic is also planted in the fall, and is often considered part of a fall garden. However, garlic is harvested the following summer. Learn how to grow garlic from cloves here.
Transplanting seedlings into the fall garden
Some seeds can be started indoors where the temperature is cooler. You'll want to start these seeds earlier, since "time to maturity" is usually calculated from the transplant date.
In other words, those radishes can take 22 days to mature after you've transplanted them into the garden, instead of 22 days from the day they are direct-sown and sprout in the garden.
Some plants just shouldn't be started indoors and transplanted, though. Carrots, for instance. Because the tiny roots will become the actual carrot that you harvest, transplanting a seedling can result in twisted, deformed carrots. It's best to plant seeds for root crops - including beets, radishes and carrots - directly in the garden.
You'll find tips for transplanting in my post How to Transplant Tomato Plants the Right Way, even if they're not tomato plants.
- You'll need to harden off your seedlings first.
- Provide shade if needed.
- Water regularly, and often, until the plants become established.
This list suggests the best time to transplant your fall seedlings into your garden:
- Lettuce when they are 2-3 inches tall
- Cabbage when they are 3 inches tall
- Peas can be transplanted just after they've sprouted
- Spinach when the plants are 2 inches tall
- Beets and radishes, like carrots, don't always do well when transplanted. However many gardeners have said that they've transplanted beets and radishes with success, and that radishes can be transplanted when they have two sets of leaves.
my Grandma used to make. Learn how to take your beets from the garden to the dining table. Delicious comfort food!
If you have leftover seeds after planting your fall garden, can you save them to use in the spring?
Yes, you can! Find out how to store the leftover seeds from your seed packets so you can plant them next year.
You'll find all of my gardening posts here.
Kathi Rodgers is the gardener and writer behind Oak Hill Homestead (est. 2009) and the host of HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast. With over 30 years of gardening experience in a variety of climates and soils, she helps new and aspiring gardeners grow healthy, organic food right in their own backyards.
A passionate advocate for simple, self-reliant living, Kathi is the author of multiple ebooks, a published magazine contributor, and shares practical advice with readers who want real-life solutions they can trust.
Kathi lives in Oklahoma, where she grows more cherry tomatoes than she can count and keeps a watchful eye on tornado season. A proud grandma and great-grandma, she believes that wisdom - like a bountiful garden harvest - should be shared.
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